winesburg,ohio-第13章

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ed　some…　what　weakened。　　As　he　talked　his　left　eyelid　twitched。　Later　when　he　drove　back　home　and　when　night　came　on　and　the　stars　came　out　it　was　harder　to　get　back　the　old　feeling　of　a　close　and　personal　God　who　lived　in　the　sky　overhead　and　who　might　at　any　moment　reach　out　his　hand；　touch　him　on　the　shoulder；　and　appoint　for　him　some　heroic　task　to　be　done。　　Jesse's　mind　was　fixed　upon　the　things　read　in　newspapers　and　magazines；　on　fortunes　to　be　made　almost　without　effort　by　shrewd　men　who　bought　and　sold。　　For　him　the　coming　of　the　boy　David　did　much　to　bring　back　with　renewed　force　the　old　faith　and　it　seemed　to　him　that　God　had　at　last　looked　with　favor　upon　him。

As　for　the　boy　on　the　farm；　life　began　to　reveal　itself　to　him　in　a　thousand　new　and　delightful　ways。　The　kindly　attitude　of　all　about　him　expanded　his　quiet　nature　and　he　lost　the　half　timid；　hesitating　manner　he　had　always　had　with　his　people。　　At　night　when　he　went　to　bed　after　a　long　day　of　adventures　in　the　stables；　in　the　fields；　or　driving　about　from　farm　to　farm　with　his　grandfather；　he　wanted　to　embrace　everyone　in　the　house。　　If　Sherley　Bentley；　the　woman　who　came　each　night　to　sit　on　the　floor　by　his　bedside；　did　not　appear　at　once；　he　went　to　the　head　of　the　stairs　and　shouted；　his　young　voice　ringing　through　the　narrow　halls　where　for　so　long　there　had　been　a　tradition　of　silence。　　In　the　morning　when　he　awoke　and　lay　still　in　bed；　the　sounds　that　came　in　to　him　through　the　windows　filled　him　with　delight。　　He　thought　with　a　shudder　of　the　life　in　the　house　in　Winesburg　and　of　his　mother's　angry　voice　that　had　always　made　him　tremble。　　There　in　the　country　all　sounds　were　pleasant　sounds。　　When　he　awoke　at　dawn　the　barnyard　back　of　the　house　also　awoke。　　In　the　house　people　stirred　about。　　Eliza　Stoughton　the　half…witted　girl　was　poked　in　the　ribs　by　a　farm　hand　and　giggled　noisily；　in　some　distant　field　a　cow　bawled　and　was　answered　by　the　cattle　in　the　stables；　and　one　of　the　farm　hands　spoke　sharply　to　the　horse　he　was　grooming　by　the　stable　door。　　David　leaped　out　of　bed　and　ran　to　a　window。　All　of　the　people　stirring　about　excited　his　mind；　and　he　wondered　what　his　mother　was　doing　in　the　house　in　town。

From　the　windows　of　his　own　room　he　could　not　see　directly　into　the　barnyard　where　the　farm　hands　had　now　all　assembled　to　do　the　morning　shores；　but　he　could　hear　the　voices　of　the　men　and　the　neighing　of　the　horses。　　When　one　of　the　men　laughed；　he　laughed　also。　　Leaning　out　at　the　open　window；　he　looked　into　an　orchard　where　a　fat　sow　wandered　about　with　a　litter　of　tiny　pigs　at　her　heels。　　Every　morning　he　counted　the　pigs。　　〃Four；　five；　six；　seven；〃　he　said　slowly；　wetting　his　finger　and　making　straight　up　and　down　marks　on　the　window　ledge。　　David　ran　to　put　on　his　trousers　and　shirt。　　A　feverish　desire　to　get　out　of　doors　took　pos…　session　of　him。　　Every　morning　he　made　such　a　noise　coming　down　stairs　that　Aunt　Callie；　the　house…　keeper；　declared　he　was　trying　to　tear　the　house　down。　　When　he　had　run　through　the　long　old　house；　shutting　the　doors　behind　him　with　a　bang；　he　came　into　the　barnyard　and　looked　about　with　an　amazed　air　of　expectancy。　　It　seemed　to　him　that　in　such　a　place　tremendous　things　might　have　hap…　pened　during　the　night。　　The　farm　hands　looked　at　him　and　laughed。　　Henry　Strader；　an　old　man　who　had　been　on　the　farm　since　Jesse　came　into　posses…　sion　and　who　before　David's　time　had　never　been　known　to　make　a　joke；　made　the　same　joke　every　morning。　　It　amused　David　so　that　he　laughed　and　clapped　his　hands。　　〃See；　come　here　and　look；〃　cried　the　old　man。　　〃Grandfather　Jesse's　white　mare　has　tom　the　black　stocking　she　wears　on　her　foot。〃

Day　after　day　through　the　long　summer；　Jesse　Bentley　drove　from　farm　to　farm　up　and　down　the　valley　of　Wine　Creek；　and　his　grandson　went　with　him。　　They　rode　in　a　comfortable　old　phaeton　drawn　by　the　white　horse。　　The　old　man　scratched　his　thin　white　beard　and　talked　to　himself　of　his　plans　for　increasing　the　productiveness　of　the　fields　they　vis…　ited　and　of　God's　part　in　the　plans　all　men　made。　Sometimes　he　looked　at　David　and　smiled　happily　and　then　for　a　long　time　he　appeared　to　forget　the　boy's　existence。　　More　and　more　every　day　now　his　mind　turned　back　again　to　the　dreams　that　had　filled　his　mind　when　he　had　first　come　out　of　the　city　to　live　on　the　land。　　One　afternoon　he　startled　David　by　letting　his　dreams　take　entire　possession　of　him。　With　the　boy　as　a　witness；　he　went　through　a　cere…　mony　and　brought　about　an　accident　that　nearly　de…　stroyed　the　companionship　that　was　growing　up　between　them。

Jesse　and　his　grandson　were　driving　in　a　distant　part　of　the　valley　some　miles　from　home。　　A　forest　came　down　to　the　road　and　through　the　forest　Wine　Creek　wriggled　its　way　over　stones　toward　a　distant　river。　　All　the　afternoon　Jesse　had　been　in　a　medita…　tive　mood　and　now　he　began　to　talk。　　His　mind　went　back　to　the　night　when　he　had　been　frightened　by　thoughts　of　a　giant　that　might　come　to　rob　and　plun…　der　him　of　his　possessions；　and　again　as　on　that　night　when　he　had　run　through　the　fields　crying　for　a　son；　he　became　excited　to　the　edge　of　insanity。　Stopping　the　horse　he　got　out　of　the　buggy　and　asked　David　to　get　out　also。　　The　two　climbed　over　a　fence　and　walked　along　the　bank　of　the　stream。　The　boy　paid　no　attention　to　the　muttering　of　his　grandfather；　but　ran　along　beside　him　and　won…　dered　what　was　going　to　happen。　　When　a　rabbit　jumped　up　and　ran　away　through　the　woods；　he　clapped　his　hands　and　danced　with　delight。　　He　looked　at　the　tall　trees　and　was　sorry　that　he　was　not　a　little　animal　to　climb　high　in　the　air　without　being　frightened。　　Stooping；　he　picked　up　a　small　stone　and　threw　it　over　the　head　of　his　grandfather　into　a　clump　of　bushes。　　〃Wake　up；　little　animal。　　Go　and　climb　to　the　top　of　the　trees；〃　he　shouted　in　a　shrill　voice。

Jesse　Bentley　went　along　under　the　trees　with　his　head　bowed　and　with　his　mind　in　a　ferment。　　His　earnestness　affected　the　boy；　who　presently　became　silent　and　a　little　alarmed。　　Into　the　old　man's　mind　had　come　the　notion　that　now　he　could　bring　from　God　a　word　or　a　sign　out　of　the　sky；　that　the　pres…　ence　of　the　boy　and　man　on　their　knees　in　some　lonely　spot　in　the　forest　would　make　the　miracle　he　had　been　waiting　for　almost　inevitable。　　〃It　was　in　just　such　a　place　as　this　that　other　David　tended　the　sheep　when　his　father　came　and　told　him　to　go　down　unto　Saul；〃　he　muttered。

Taking　the　boy　rather　roughly　by　the　shoulder；　he　climbed　over　a　fallen　log　and　when　he　had　come　to　an　open　place　among　the　trees　he　dropped　upon　his　knees　and　began　to　pray　in　a　loud　voice。

A　kind　of　terror　he　had　never　known　before　took　possession　of　David。　　Crouching　beneath　a　tree　he　watched　the　man　on　the　ground　before　him　and　his　own　knees　began　to　tremble。　　It　seemed　to　him　that　he　was　in　the　presence　not　only　of　his　grandfather　but　of　someone　else；　someone　who　might　hurt　him；　someone　who　was　not　kindly　but　dangerous　and　brutal。　　He　began　to　cry　and　reaching　down　picked　up　a　small　stick；　which　he　held　tightly　gripped　in　his　fingers。　　When　Jesse　Bentley；　absorbed　in　his　own　idea；　suddenly　arose　and　advanced　toward　him；　his　terror　grew　until　his　whole　body　shook。　　In　the　woods　an　intense　silence　seemed　to　lie　over　every…　thing　and　suddenly　out　of　the　silence　came　the　old　man's　harsh　and　insistent　voice。　　Gripping　the　boy's　shoulders；　Jesse　turned　his　face　to　the　sky　and　shouted。　　The　whole　left　side　of　his　face　twitched　and　his　hand　on　the　boy's　shoulder　twitched　also。　〃Make　a　sign　to　me；　God；〃　he　cried。　　〃Here　I　stand　with　the　boy　David。　　Come　down　to　me　out　of　the　sky　and　make　Thy　presence　known　to　me。〃

With　a　cry　of　fear；　David　turned　and；　shaking　himself　loose　from　the　hands　that　held　him；　ran　away　through　the　forest。　　He　did　not　believe　that　the　man　who　turned　up　his　face　and　in　a　harsh　voice　shouted　at　the　sky　was　his　grandfather　at　all。　　The　man　did　not　look　like　his　grandfather。　　The　convic…　tion　that　something　strange　and　terrible　had　hap…　pened；　that　by　some　miracle　a　new　and　dangerous　person　had　come　into　the　body　of　the　kindly　old　man；　took　possession　of　him。　　On　and　on　he　ran　down　the　hillside；　sobbing　as　he　ran。　　When　he　fell　over　the